This invention relates to machines for harvesting pyrethrum flowers. Pyrethrum is one of the oldest and best known plant insecticides and has been used for many years for controlling household insects, such as flies, and for controlling pests on agricultural crops. The fact that pyrethrum is harmless to man and animals has made it particularly desirable for household use and on food crops.
The range of usefulness of the insecticide has been achieved by the extraction of pyrethrins from the flowers of the pyrethrum plant. These extracts in suitable form are widely used as sprays for the control of insects in households, greenhouses, and gardens.
The pyrethrum flowers must be harvested during a relatively short time because they rapidly reach and pass the preferred stage of maturity for picking. Furthermore, the plants are not strong and are prone to lean or fall to the ground in unfavorable condition for picking. These factors have made it difficult to harvest the pyrethrum flower mechanically.
A principal object of the invention is to provide a harvesting machine capable of harvesting pyrethrum flowers substantially at maturity with little or no damage to the plant and with minimal wastage, while leaving buds and immature flowers in condition for further growth and development.